And here's the next chapter! It's at this point that we're almost done with this story, but I'll be writing some more adventures with my psycho Robin in a few more stories. Just a matter of figuring out which one I want to do first. XD

Disclaimer: I own nothing except for my OC Robin.

The days had turned into weeks, and the weeks had turned into months. Pretty soon, the cool, fresh air of spring became the hot, scorching heat of summer. Everyone seemed to want to stay inside to escape the heat, except for me. I spent as much time in the sun as possible. The heat didn't bother me nearly as much as the others, my fire power ensured that. While my friends stayed in the shade, I frolicked in the direct heat, barely even breaking a sweat. Thankfully, by now, after having Loki stay with us for a while, some of the Avengers started to accept him. Some, but not all. Ayame and I had talked to Loki from the get-go, and Thor at least tried to make conversation soon after. Sadly, I believe there was still a rift between the two. Eventually, even Stark and Bruce got used to him, and even joked with him.

I lounged in a chair, wearing a simple purple T-shirt and shorts with my eyes closed. My normally pale skin had now at least tanned slightly. I was sitting in quiet meditation before hearing Ayame complain, "Ugh. It's so hot out!"

I opened an eye in annoyance, "Then why don't you go inside?"

"Wouldn't make a difference, the air conditioner is broken for now."

"Then why don't you use your ice?"

"It keeps melting in this heat!"

Stark sat up, "Then how about we go swimming?"

I sighed, "It's been so long since I swam that I doubt I even have a swimsuit that fits me."

"Then we can go shopping to get you one!" Ayame said happily.

I sighed. I was never the kind of girl to go shopping a lot. "Fine, but can you promise me that we won't spend hours buying useless shit we don't need?"

"I make no such promises."

"Then if we start wandering off the main purpose of why we went to the mall, I'll personally drag you out myself. Deal?" I held out a hand for Ayame to shake.

She looked at my outstretched hand for a few moments before shaking it, "Deal."

"Good, then let's hurry in and out. I hate shopping," I paused and added hopefully, "Can I drive?"

Stark widened his eyes, "No!"

"Aww, why not?"

"You suck at driving!"

"Surely I can't be that bad, can I?"

"Well, I must admit," Loki said, "Your driving skills are rather questionable."

"Way to back me up, honey," I said sarcastically. My gaze swept around, looking at everyone, "Am I really that bad?"

"Uh, yeah," Stark said, "You always speed, you majorly road-rage, and you try to swerve off the road in an attempt to hit the people you hate, which would be almost everyone in New York."

"Oh. . ." I sighed, "Fine, I won't drive."

Stark nodded and held up his car keys, "I'll drive." And at that, we all piled into his red convertible. I sat in the back, looking out the side of the car. Loki chuckled and sat next to me, Ayame taking the passenger seat. We soon drove off to the large, colorful shopping center with no problems. Once there, Ayame literally dragged me straight from the car to the swimwear section in the mall with Loki and Stark following behind, laughing at the scene.

Ayame finally stopped in front of a rack of women's swim suits. There were so many of them. "Pick what you want," she said cheerfully.

I looked at her, "Uh. . ." I was overwhelmed by the amount of the choices and just simply shrugged. I didn't know what I wanted.

She giggled, "I'll help, no worries!" She rifled through the collection of swimwear and eventually picked one out, "How about this one?" She pulled out a black bikini with a white skull and crossbones on the top with purple stripes.

I stared at it. It fit my style exactly, but I absolutely refused to wear bikinis. It would expose my biggest scar if I ever wore one. "No," I said.

"Aww, what's the matter?" Stark asked teasingly, "Don't wanna provide eye candy for your fuck buddy?"

I turned bright red and Loki and I both stared at him with wide eyes. "T-Tony!" I exclaimed.

Loki was just as shocked by that statement as I was, "We never-"

Stark cut him off, "You mean to tell me that you never snuck into her room to sleep with her despite the fact that Steve told you not to?"

"It was not in that way, Tony," he replied. I just silently thanked the fact that Steve was not there to hear any of the current conversation.

"That's not the reason, anyway," I said quietly.

"Then what is the reason?" Stark asked.

"I hate exposing my back, end of story."

"Yeah, you always say that, but why do you hate it so much?"

I couldn't tell any of them the real reason, I was too afraid of seeing the scar again myself, but having everyone else see it horrified me. "I . . . I just do," I said, not knowing what else to say.

Stark raised an eyebrow, "Uh-huh."

I sighed in defeat, "Fine, if I try it on will you stop bugging me?"

"Yep."

I rolled my eyes and took the swim suit, stalking into the dressing room. Once I had it on, I looked at myself in the mirror. In the front, it was a cute swim suit on a rather average, albeit Goth looking girl with a tiny body structure and below average height. I sighed and held up one of my arms. I needed to work out more, I was getting weak again. The only thing special about me in an outward appearance, aside from the jagged beginning of a scar on my left collarbone, were my eyes. They were an odd shade of magenta. I always lied and told everyone that I was wearing color contacts, but they were my natural eye color. Then again, was there anything "natural" about me? I was not even created like normal humans. I was only a science experiment, and I was put under the impression at my old home that I was only a creature to be used.

I turned around and examined my scar. In a long "z" shape, an ugly, jagged, and horrific scar stretched across my shoulders, going diagonally down to my left hip, and finally stretching over to my right hip, ending with a slight curl around my hipbone. The scar itself left the skin on my back permanently damaged. It was a constant reminder of who I was. Not a superhero named Robin, but a villainous beast with no name.

I sighed and draped my black, shoulder length hair over my collarbone to hide the beginning of it and walked out to the others, keeping my back to the wall. "Happy?" I grumbled, crossing my arms in irritation.

Ayame smiled reassuringly, "It looks good on you, Robin." The front, maybe, but the back was horrendous. Oh, I wasn't even mentioning the swim suit, that part was fine.

I sighed, "Is there a one piece version of this?"

She shook her head, "No, and there's no one pieces that suit you or would seem to fit, or they're just plain ugly." Well, that was just peachy, now wasn't it?

"Fine, I'll get this one," I grumbled before backing away into the dressing room, hiding my back the entire time before changing into my normal clothes and purchasing it. Once we made it to the pool, I sat in a lounging chair with a cover over my swim suit. I was perfectly fine with just sitting there if it meant that no one else would see my scar.

Ayame had asked Steve why I was so paranoid about showing my back once he and the others decided to join our little swimming party, but he didn't tell her. He was the only one who knew the real reason and that was only because when he found me, I had looked like I had gotten into a horrible accident with a paper shredder, or a shitload of knives, or a mixture of the two.

I had just about dozed off in the warm sunlight when I felt its warmth suddenly vanish. "Why are you not swimming?" I heard Loki ask. I opened my eyes to see him, dripping with water from the pool and leaning over me with a curious expression on his face. And he was shirtless. I turned bright red. Oh my God, he was shirtless. I mentally slapped myself for starting to go into fangirl mode, but I couldn't help it. I had never seen him like that before.

"Uh . . . personal reasons," I said quietly. I was trying so hard to keep my focus on his face, but it was extremely difficult.

"Because she's a boring old turd!" I heard Stark shout from the pool.

That was enough for me to tear my eyes away from Loki and glare at Stark, "Am not!" I shouted back.

Loki chuckled softly and sat beside me, "Are you sure you do not wish to tell me?" he looked at me with concern.

I nodded and unconsciously moved my hair behind my ears, "I'm sure."

He noticed the part of the scar that curled around my collarbone and I silently cursed myself for my little, girly habit of moving my hair. "What is that?"

I paled slightly, "Oh . . . it's, uh. . ."

He looked at me curiously before leaning over and inspecting it further. I sighed in defeat; if he had seen it he might as well see the whole thing. I turned around and closed my eyes, anticipating a reaction. I didn't hear him say anything, but I felt him gently and softly touch the scar. I flinched away out of reflex, the last person who had touched it was the man who had given it to me in the first place. Loki finally spoke, his voice quiet, but it was a voice not of worry or sorrow, but of anger, "Who did this to you?"

I kept my eyes closed, "I-I can't tell you."

"Why not?" his voice became gentler at my reaction.

"I don't want to drag you or anyone else into such a mess. They . . . they're still looking for me, and if they find out where I am, they'll drag me away from you and everyone else I care about."

"I understand," he said softly, "but if I ever find out who did this to you, I will personally kill them myself."

"I'll help with that," I said quietly, "Once I'm no longer afraid of them. . ." Just then, I heard a buzzing sound by my ear. I turned my head and saw a big, fat hornet buzzing around. I never liked those things and, like most people, they freaked me out. I reacted anyway a normal human would. I made a rather big deal of it and jumped into the deep end of the pool, creating a surprisingly big splash for a person my size in an attempt to escape the hornet. When I had resurfaced, the others in the pool had laughed at my reaction, definitely not expecting someone as angry as I to be scared of a little bug. I rolled my eyes and looked over to where Loki was still sitting, but instead of seeing him laughing, I saw him looking up at the sky in worry. Out of curiosity, I turned my attention to the sky and widened my eyes. The sky was splitting open as if it were only flimsy fabric.